ESAB Welding & Cutting Products (www.esabna.com) and PLSystems (www.plsystems.us) have agreed to work together to integrate PLSystems' patented closed-loop control system into ESAB's mechanized laser welding systems.

The companies said they have been working for four years to develop and to commercialize a hybrid laser welding system that combines the benefits of laser welding with GMAW, and that a key component of the system is PLSystems' patented control that allows the system to monitor the weld joint in real time and to modify the process to accommodate a joint mismatch.

ESAB launched its HLx Series of laser welders based on the combined technology in January 2006, and introduced the product to the industry at large at IMTS 2006 in September.

The companies said the recent agreement allows ESAB to assemble and integrate PLSystems' control system with ESAB products for licensing and resale. The agreement also calls for collaboration of the two companies on the development of new related manufacturing technologies and products.

ESAB said its HLx Series is the first commercially available mechanized laser-welding system that uses a closed-loop control to monitor and alter the welding process faster than a human operator could, allowing travel speeds that would not be possible with conventional control systems. This technology is available as a robotic system, a portable tractor system or on a moving gantry.